Operational Technology
Bridging IT and OT: bringing operational technology assets under ServiceNow governance.
Book a Discovery CallAs operational technology converges with IT infrastructure, the governance gap between the two creates risk. MainStack implements ServiceNow OT solutions that extend CMDB, ITSM, and security workflows to cover industrial control systems, SCADA environments, and connected operational assets, without disrupting the operational processes they support.
Common Challenges We Solve
- OT assets undiscovered, unpatched, and unaccounted for in the corporate CMDB
- Incidents affecting OT environments managed manually with no structured workflow or audit trail
- Regulatory frameworks (NIS2, IEC 62443) requiring documented OT asset inventories that don't exist
- IT and OT security teams working in separate toolsets with no shared visibility or escalation path
[ Why it matters ]
The IT/OT boundary is eroding, but the governance model around it has not kept up. Industrial control systems, SCADA environments, building management systems, and connected operational assets are now routinely networked, often integrated with cloud analytics, and almost always invisible to the corporate CMDB. When a cyber incident affects an OT environment, the response draws on tools, data, and processes that were never designed for operational technology, and the audit trail is often reconstructed after the fact.
NIS2, IEC 62443, and sector-specific frameworks such as those in energy, pharma, and manufacturing now require documented OT asset inventories, structured incident response, and demonstrable segregation between IT and OT domains. Meeting those obligations with spreadsheets and point tools is no longer defensible. Extending ServiceNow into the OT domain, carefully and with the right discovery patterns, gives both IT and operational technology teams a shared platform without compromising the safety properties OT environments depend on.
[ How MainStack delivers ]
OT discovery must not disrupt operational processes, and that constraint shapes the entire engagement. We begin with CI class design that extends the CSDM model to cover PLCs, SCADA systems, HMIs, and industrial sensors, with security classification and operational context captured alongside the technical metadata. Discovery is then configured with passive and semi-passive patterns validated against OT security standards, not repurposed IT discovery.
Once the inventory is in place, IT and OT integration is modelled at the relationship level: which business services depend on which OT assets, which IT infrastructure supports which control system, and where the interdependencies create exposure. Compliance dashboards for NIS2 and IEC 62443 surface the evidence framework, while joint IT/OT governance workshops embed the cross-domain incident, change, and escalation processes that keep the model working after handover.
[ What We Deliver ]
OT Asset Classification
OT-specific CI class design and taxonomy, extending the CSDM model to cover PLCs, SCADA systems, HMIs, and industrial sensors with appropriate security and operational context.
Safe Discovery Patterns
Passive and semi-passive discovery configurations for OT environments: inventory without disruption, validated against operational technology security standards.
IT/OT Integration Model
Structured relationship mapping between OT assets and the IT infrastructure, applications, and business services they depend on, enabling impact analysis across both domains.
Risk & Compliance Dashboards
NIS2 and IEC 62443 compliance reporting, vulnerability exposure scoring, and patch status tracking, surfaced in ServiceNow for both IT and OT security stakeholders.
Joint IT/OT Governance
Process design for joint IT/OT incident response, change advisory board integration for OT changes, and cross-domain training for IT and operational teams.
Ready to get started with OT?
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